


Fallen Star

by Snailythefan



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Nonbinary My Unit | Byleth, the shipping so far has been veryyyyyy vagueeeee!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:48:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27409855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snailythefan/pseuds/Snailythefan
Summary: Short fics for #nonbinarybylethweek !These fics all explore Byleth's life in my own AU where they're a reincarnation of a celestial being.Day 1: ChildhoodDay 2: FishingDay 3: TimeDay 4: Expressing emotions[Will update summary as the week goes on]
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Jeralt Reus Eisner & My Unit | Byleth, My Unit | Byleth & Bernadetta von Varley, My Unit | Byleth/Hubert von Vestra, Will add ships as they appear
Kudos: 13





	1. Childhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A girl dreams of her ideal self.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO!  
> I've been planning a long, long AU in which Byleth is the reincarnation of a [drum roll] fallen star, and in the AU Byleth is nonbinary because in their past life they looked like Male!Byleth, but now that they look like Fem!Byleth their gender identity falls squarely in the "gender whomst???" category.
> 
> Or at least I explained it in-universe that way, the real reason Byleth is nonbinary in my AU is because I'm enby and I do what I want.
> 
> So through this week I'll be writing about this Byleth and their life! Hopefully one day I'll get to properly write this AU, but thanks to anyone that takes the time to read these short fics  
> <3

"Wake up, sleepyhead" The voice of their mother beckoned Byleth to open their eyes. The celestial vault welcomed them as it always did, the light glow of the stars signaled that it was a new day, a new chance to understand the human world.

"Did you sleep well, my dearest..." their mother's voice seemed to suddenly trail off, even though her lips definitely said a name.

Byleth wasn't sure why they felt she hadn't said their name at all.

Their mother smiled and brushed away from their face some strands of hair. "My little... Today we walk among the mortals, we must get you dressed for the occasion"

In their mind, Byleth registered this as somewhat absurd. The stars danced around them, and Byleth couldn't help but ask "Will you let me play with them? With the humans?"

"Just for today, I promised you isn't it?" and their mother smiled as she took their hand, leading them away to get changed.

But Byleth again felt confused as to what was the meaning of it all.

"C'mon _Beleth_ , we're going to be late"

And then Byleth Eisner, 8 years old at the time, woke up in her bed confused and sweaty. A wave of sadness washed over her, and she mourned the ending of her dream.

She didn't dream a lot, but when she did, she always dreamed of the same thing: being the child of the moon, running along the celestial beings.

_Beleth, the youngest star._

Still, it annoyed her that they never got her name right in the dream realm.

She got up and turned on her night light, and then went to stare at herself in the mirror. Everything seemed to be the same: her hair, her eyes, her nose, her cat pajamas. Everything was as it should be.

And yet, Byleth pouted at her reflection because it still didn't feel quite right.

"I don't know what I'm missing..." she said to no one in particular. She just wanted to feel like she did in her dreams, magical, ethereal and _just right._

She gently grabbed a few locks of her hair and twirled them around her fingers as she watched her reflection do the same. "Hmm..."

Then, her last thought before going back to bed: _I wonder if dad will let me cut my hair short._


	2. Fishing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth has a good annual fishing trip with Jeralt.

"Dear, pass me some more bait?" their father said as he adjusted his fishing line.

The morning air was cold and made their fingers a bit clumsy, but Byleth handed their dad a bit more chum so that he could curl it around his hook.

Byleth had been looking forward to their annual fishing trip, and now that they were here, they couldn't help but feel a bit nervous because this would be their last trip in a while before Byleth left for college... And they really wanted to use the opportunity to come out to their dad.

However now that the two of them were sitting in the smallest fishing boat ever created and in the middle of the quietest lake they ever had the pleasure to visit, Byleth wasn't really sure how to bring up the topic.

And the more time they spent fishing in relative silence, the more comfortable they became with the idea of just _not_ talking about it. But Byleth needed to let him know, now or never.

They knew Jeralt loved them, and he'd never had a problem with them being a typical tomboy, if anything he was happy Byleth was into "guy stuff" because that made it easy to bond with them, but still...

Byleth wasn't sure their heart could handle their dad hating them over something so small.

"Honey, your line" suddenly, Jeralt interrupted their thoughts "YOUR LINE"

Byleth had been so distracted by their own thoughts that they hadn't even noticed that they had caught something. "Oh shit" with a slightly panicked grip, Byleth started reeling in their fish.

"No! Slower, slower"

"I know what I'm doing, dad!"

Reel, reel, reel.

"Almost...!"

And catch! Byleth smiled as they got their hands on a big fat carp and promptly tossed it into the cooler.

"Woo, that was the biggest one yet! That's my girl!" Jeralt looked at her with a proud fatherly smile, and Byleth couldn't properly enjoy it because it came with the reminder that in his head, they were still his precious little _daughter._

"Actually," Byleth gulped a little "Not a girl"

Jeralt looked taken aback. "Huh?"

"I'M NOT A GIRL, DAD!" Byleth shouted into the chilly air of the lake and it startled a few birds that swiftly flew away.

Then, silence. Years seemed to pass before they dared to look into their father's eyes.

"...Hey" Their dad put a hand on their shoulder and that finally forced them to look up. "What... What do you mean by that?"

"Dad... I... I'm just not a girl"

"Then a boy?"

"That's the thing, I'm not a boy either. I'm just... Me? I guess? I'd just love for you to actually... Think of me as your genderless child that goes by 'them' okay?"

Jeralt snorted at that and Byleth pouted.

"Sorry, it's just, it'll take a while to get used to. But, in hindsight, it does make sense. You did wear a suit to highschool prom"

"So... You're okay with it?" They asked, a bit nervous still.

"Byleth, I couldn't give less of a damn as long as you're happy. I'm sure your mom would have thought the same"

"Dad..." Byleth smiled at that.

Yes, part of them knew it was true. Sitri Eisner would have loved them regardless of anything.

"Anyway," Jeralt said after a little while "great catch, _kiddo_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I cried a little writing this and i don't know why (I know why)


	3. Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time goes flying when Byleth works with Lady Hresvelg.

Byleth typed away as fast as she could at the same time that Lady Hresvelg talked about her story.

"...And then in the intimate darkness of the chamber, The Lord of Darkness kneeled down as he swore complete and total loyalty to the The Flame Emperor. Hmm... Maybe we could add something to make the scene more dramatic. What do you think, professor?"

Byleth huffed, amused at the scene Edelgard had described. If they had asked them a few months ago what Byleth thought an eccentric millionaire like Lady Hresvelg would hire them to write, they would have answered saying that it would be the typical narcissistic and highly egotistical autobiography.

But now, working on the first draft of "The Ballad of the Crimson flower: The Dark Saga Part 1", Byleth couldn't be more glad that they had the opportunity to be the ghostwriter for Edelgard's first YA novel.

It was incredibly melodramatic, full of angst and of course, it was focused around vampires.

It was really fun to write, and with how invested Edelgard was in fulfilling her vision, the first draft would be complete in just a few more months. 

They still couldn’t believe their luck, seeing how for years Byleth had trouble finding any sort of writing job (if it was because they vehemently refused to be called ‘Miss Eisner’ by some publishers, they didn’t want to think about it) and now they would be paid handsomely as a ghostwriter.

They were still getting used to the idea of being unrecognized for their part, but the pay was so good they almost didn’t mind. Work was work, after all.

"I'll work on making the scene as emotional as I can" Byleth said as they typed a few keywords and saved their document.

"Fantastic" Lady Hresvelg said with a satisfied smile. Then, the antique clock in the room chimed, letting them know it was already 8 pm.

Byleth glanced at their laptop's digital clock to confirm it. "Ah, we've been at it for hours. I think we should call it a day"

"Wait, professor" Edelgard suddenly pleaded. "I really wanted to talk to you about this scene in chapter 28-"

"Lady Hresvelg, we can continue tomorrow"

"Please? I will be unable to fall asleep thinking about it" Edelgard put her hand on theirs and pouted. Byleth wasn't sure why it couldn't wait until tomorrow morning, but shrugged. After all, the lady was paying per hour of their services.

"Alright." Byleth opened the document that had the vague outline for chapter 28. It was one of the last chapters for part one, introducing a mysterious mage to the story that ended becoming an unlikely ally to the protagonist, setting up the sequel.

"Thank you, professor Eisner. I'll try to make it quick so that we can join my husband for dinner as soon as possible"

Byleth let out a short sigh imagining the delicious buffet the cooks must have prepared. Truly, staying at the Hresvelg-Vestra residence had its perks (who knew being a ghostwriter for rich people could actually be delightful?) But it also made Byleth mourn the day this project of theirs would end, and with it, their stay at the mansion.

Oh well.

"So, I believe we left it on 'the princess wakes up after being saved by a wandering mage'" The lady walked behind them to look at the outline on the screen and gently placed her hands on their shoulders.

"Yes, and the mage has been by her side the entire time waiting for her to wake up" Byleth added. "That's all we have of the setting of this chapter. What did you want to add?"

"I was having trouble coming up with dialogue ideas for them. They don't know each other, but this chapter needs to be about their instant connection... So, I was thinking-" Lady Hresvelg walked around the room as she talked, and then turned to look at Byleth "We could roleplay, just as a way to get the ideas flowing. I will be the princess, and you can be the mage"

Byleth looked back at her with confusion "Really? I'm not good at pretending. I believe the mage would come off as very... Emotionless" Not to mention, the idea of a roleplay with Lady Hresvelg made Byleth very embarrassed.

"Oh, that would be perfect actually. I'll set the scene for you" Edelgard grabbed a chair and sat in front of Byleth's desk. "The princess is sleeping peacefully on a grassy hill, and the mage sits comfortably next to her. The night sky watches over them, but soon morning will come. Then, the princess wakes up..."

Edelgard paused her narration and stared expectantly at Byleth. They supposed that was their cue to continue.

Byleth thought about it for a few minutes, hoping they could come up with something Lady Hresvelg would be happy with. But they were having trouble putting themselves in the shoes of the mage, since they knew so little about them.

Regardless, Byleth spoke "The mage would casually look down at her and ask 'Are you alright?'"

Edelgard smiled. Then she closed her eyes for a moment before she replied "You saved me... Why?"

Byleth wondered. They were total strangers, and yet the mage had prevented an angry mob from burning the princess alive. But why, what was their motivation? "You looked scared. I just wanted to help"

"Humans hate us, and yet you..."

Ah, but that was the thing. Byleth felt proud about remembering this little factoid Edelgard had told them about the mage "I'm not human. And you needed my help. That's all there is to it"

Lady Hresvelg looked pleased at their responses so far. But she seemed to be looking through them, her eyes hopeful... But hopeful for what?

"You look so beautiful" she suddenly said with a mellow voice, and despite knowing it was about the character, Byleth couldn't help but be taken by surprise.

They closed their eyes for a moment, to think about what to say, and suddenly Byleth could practically see the scene unfold before their eyes.

_Two people alone on a prairie, waiting for dawn to come. The princess looked exactly like Edelgard, her long white hair tangling with the grass. She was wearing a white gown, damaged and a bit dirty after the mob got to her. They noticed how pale she looked... And they couldn't help but think of her as moonlight brought to life, a little piece of home on Earth._

_She was looking up at them, awe in her eyes. "You look so beautiful" she said out of the blue, almost like a secret that slipped out, and then the first rays of sunlight would illuminate their face. Edelgard looked at them, pleading. They couldn't look away from her unnaturally violet eyes. What was she asking of them? They didn't know._

_But Beleth felt the need to give her the world._

_And then, the timid sunlight started burning her porcelain skin, making her cry in pain. Without hesitation, Beleth took off their long coat and covered her body._

_"Please..." She begged "Help me get home"_

_And the mage didn't hesitate at all to do exactly that._

The antique clock in the room chimed, letting them know it was already 9 pm.

Byleth opened their eyes and felt a bit disoriented. "Huh..?"

The document in front of them seemed untouched. Had they forgotten to write down the ideas? The scene? But wait, had an hour already passed? What had they done for one hour?

Edelgard startled them by placing her hands on their shoulders "Professor, sorry we took so long. Dinner must have gone cold by now, but I'll just ask the chef to heat it up. C'mon"

And with that Lady Hresvelg left the room.

Byleth still felt so confused as to what had just happened, but mostly they felt... Intense longing for something they couldn't name. After a few moments, they shook their head and closed their laptop.

They would have to rework chapter 28 without Lady Hresvelg doing weird roleplay stuff, since it had been a waste of time. For now, all Byleth cared about was the buffet waiting for them downstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys wouldn't believe how much "tip of the iceberg" this chapter is for my long, long AU.


	4. Expressing emotions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth cries while reading a book.

The Hresvelg-Vestra residence had everything Byleth could have ever dreamed of, and currently their favorite room to visit was the library.

The library had high ceilings and wide windows, and even though it seemed someone liked to keep all the curtains closed at all times (Byleth kept opening them and the next day, the library would be in the dark once again), they loved to go there on most days to check the collection of books.

It wasn't too surprising that a pair of millionaires would have first editions of old and rare books, but their collection seemed to focus on the miscellaneous, esoteric and mystical with a dash of records of historical events.

Byleth could spend their whole life inside that library and they wouldn't get bored, not at all.

Today they had stumbled upon a book titled "The Complications of Immortality: a thesis on the nature of history and our relationship with it" by an author only referred to as "Hevring".

Byleth prepared themselves some tea and got ready to spend the evening reading it alone in the library, but then someone entered the room, seemingly to stay.

"Ah, professor. Don't mind me, I'm just here for some light reading" Hubert von Vestra, husband of Lady Hresvelg, walked towards the closest set of curtains and hurriedly closed them. Ah, so he seemed to be the one that liked to keep the library in the dark.

Byleth didn't know much about him since his wife was the one that hogged all the attention of the media outlets, but they got the impression that he was your run of the mill stoic man. Yes, he carried himself with a certain dignified elegance and he seemed to favor a wardrobe of muted dark colors, but other than that Byleth didn't have any particular thoughts about him.

They barely saw each other really, so Byleth felt a bit awkward about sharing the library with him. But it was _his_ library after all, perhaps it should be them who should leave and give him some privacy?

While Byleth considered their escape route, Lord Vestra continued to close curtains at a fast pace until the room was completely deprived of natural light.

Rude! They were reading here first!

"Excuse me, but the light..." Byleth looked around to complain at mister Vestra, but then they just heard two claps before the room became illuminated again.

"Apologies. I prefer to keep natural light to a minimum in this room, for the sake of the books" and with that, Hubert grabbed a book from one of the shelves and made his way towards Byleth's table, only to pull a chair and sit down with them.

It unnerved them a little. But Byleth was using the _only_ table at their library, so it made sense, right? They would have to share (and it was _his_ library, Byleth reminded themselves once again).

Still, it was so awkward! However, Lord Vestra focused on his book while Byleth couldn't stop thinking about how close they were.

They sighed and decided to ignore him as much as they could. Byleth took a sip of their tea and started reading again.

The book had a structure more akin to a series of essays made with no relation to each other and later put together as a "thesis" of sorts. While that annoyed Byleth a little, the narrative of each one was fascinating to say the least. First, the writer seemed to imply _they_ were alive for each historical event described despite going from the great war of 1185 to the more modern WW2.

It was fun to read, though Byleth doubted it had any sort of true historical value. Perhaps it was more of a fictional narrative inspired by true historical events, with a main character that was supposedly immortal and thus had insight into intimate details of certain episodes in history.

Once Byleth realized this, they mostly skimmed through the book, looking for particularly interesting parts of it.

They landed on a chapter about the narrator being welcomed into a small community of eccentric artists and their wandering caravan, the year being 1812. The narrator focused on the daily lives of each member and their relationships with each other.

_Their life on the road gives them the freedom to live as they please, far away from laws and mundane social rules. Lewyn, their leader of sorts, lives in a perpetual state of fluidity: some days he'll be the king of the troupe, others she'll be the queen. Today he'll be king, he says. His fellow musicians don't object to this, and his wife seems supportive._

_That's not the only instance of them living without restrictions: love is free between members of the troupe. Couples will sometimes include 3 or more members, and they will all happily kiss each other without shame or care for how the world might judge them. I find their showcase distasteful and they use that to tease me, but I cannot hate them._

_I wonder if their ways will live on years after the caravan stops traveling around the continent. Is it too naive to imagine a future where everyone is free to exist and love as they please?_

Byleth sucked in a breath. They blinked several times, trying to stop the tears from coming in. But it was far too late, that last passage had really gotten to them.

It started as a very quiet sob. And before they couldn't control their tears, Byleth closed the book, fearing that they could damage its pages with their tears. Then the inevitable: increasingly louder sobs came from them, ones impossible to ignore, and as such they startled Lord Vestra.

"...Professor? Are you... Okay?" If the slight panic in his voice was any clue, Hubert didn't know how to deal with their sudden tears.

Byleth shook their head "It's- It's nothing, sorry, just give me a moment" and yet they couldn't stop crying in front of this stranger. It was so embarrassing, yet the more they tried to stop the more it felt impossible to do so. And then, Byleth started to laugh due to nervousness.

"...Now you're laughing?" Poor Hubert, he had no idea of the roller coaster of emotions Byleth was going through.

"I'm sorry, sorry, I'll just leave" was all Byleth could say as they got up and tried to make their way out, desperately wiping away their tears and trying not to make a fool out of themselves anymore- but then of course, they tripped.

They let out a pathetic squeak and closed their eyes, waiting for the impact. However it never came.

Because somehow, Hubert had caught them in a hug before they could plummet onto the floor.

The hug felt oddly comforting, Hubert's chest being a nice place to rest one's head, and Byleth took the opportunity to finally calm down and breathe.

Slowly, Byleth stepped away from Hubert, but he held their hands for a moment. "Professor... If this is a nervous breakdown, I'm sure Edelgard won't oppose you taking a break from this project of yours"

Byleth shook their head. "No, no. It's just... Is it really naive of me to dream of a world where I can exist freely?"

The look on Hubert's face let them know it was a question he couldn't answer. Byleth shook their head and sniffled a little. "What is wrong with me..? I'm sorry Lord Vestra, maybe this really was a breakdown. I'll go rest for the day"

They walked away, but before they could leave the room, Hubert called out to them "Byleth... For what it's worth, Edelgard and I dream of that world as well"

Byleth gave him a sad smile. "Thanks" they said, and with that they left the library, ready to go collapse on their bed and forget about the whole affair.

It was while trying to sleep that it dawned on them that in the Hresvelg-Vestra mansion, they'd been so easily welcomed and accepted by everyone without hesitation. It almost, just almost, felt like they were right where they belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey dont u sometimes stop and think how "being nonbinary" isn't really a new concept  
> I wonder how the enbies of the past felt and lived and loved


	5. Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth can't sleep during a rainy night

Byleth couldn't sleep, they kept turning and tossing in bed until they finally got tired of it and got up. Water droplets kept drumming on their window with a slow and tender cadence, and Byleth decided to walk around the mansion for a bit before trying to fall asleep again. Maybe they would even make themselves some tea.

The rain had lowered the temperature of the entire residence, so they grabbed the long and cozy black robe that had been left for them in the closet. Once they put it on, Byleth hummed with satisfaction. It was so soft and warm, it was absolutely perfect.

As they walked through the empty corridors, Byleth kept looking through the windows, admiring the way the rain coated the gardens outside. Roses, tulips, daisies, violets, and sunflowers... The gardens were full of their favorite flowers, including-

A girl.

A girl?

Byleth stopped in their tracks and pushed their face against the closest window. There, in the middle of the flowers was a single girl, standing with her back to them, presumably staring at the moon over her head. She was just letting the rain pour all over her, without a care in the world.

It made Byleth worried. For some reason they felt the urge to grab an umbrella and bring her inside. What if she got sick? It was a chilly night after all.

So they went and did exactly that.

"Are you okay?" Byleth called out to her as they made their way to where she was standing, trampling over some unfortunate flowers with their now soggy slippers.

The girl got startled and let out a tiny yip as she quickly turned around to see Byleth coming towards her with an umbrella wide enough for two. She gave a few steps back before whispering "Brother...?"

Her dripping bangs covered most of her eyes, but Byleth could see how distressed her expression was. "I don't know how you got past the gates, but you'll freeze to death out here"

"I... I live here" she replied with the tiniest of voices. Byleth stared at her for a moment. Even though she was dripping head to toe, they realized she was wearing an expensive looking lolita-style dress. Perhaps she was just another resident of the mansion they hadn't met before. She looked no older than 19, so Byleth figured they had caught her in a moment of teenage angst.

"Well, come back inside. You'll get sick" Byleth extended the umbrella to cover her as well. The young lady kept staring at Byleth with unnerving attention, as if she was trying to memorize every detail of their face.

"We haven't met each other, right?" Byleth offered their hand to her "I'm Byleth Eisner, I've been working for Lady Hresvelg as her ghostwriter"

The girl took their hand and gently shook it " _Byleth..._ Nice to meet you. I'm... I'm Bernadetta"

A moment of silence passed between them. The girl wouldn't let go of their hand or stop staring at them in awe. A bit awkward.

"C'mon, we need to get you warm and dry" Byleth took back their hand and started walking toward the entrance of the mansion, and the girl followed.

Byleth had tried to ignore it, but Bernadetta just kept staring at their face and it made them a bit uncomfortable. So they decided to stare back, which after a few seconds made the girl understand.

"I'm so s-sorry! You... You just look so much like someone else"

"Your brother?" Byleth said with a tiny smile. Being confused for a guy made them feel very pleased with themselves.

"H-Huh? How did you know?!" she asked, shocked.

"You called me your brother back in the garden?"

"Oh... Yeah, I guess I did. Sorry"

"It's fine. It's the first time someone looks at me and doesn't automatically says 'miss', so I'm counting it as a win"

Byleth closed the doors to the mansion behind them and left the umbrella on the floor as the young lady stood by the entrance, leaving a puddle at her feet.

"I suggest you go take a warm bath and head to bed" Byleth said as they started walking towards the kitchen "But if you don't feel sleepy, I'll be here making some tea before I go to sleep. I wouldn't mind sharing with you"

Bernadetta smiled at them. "A cup of tea sounds lovely. I'll try to be quick then" and with that the girl hurried towards the stairs leading to the second floor, her steps leaving a trail of tiny puddles behind her.

Byleth looked at her go and let out a content sigh. Bernadetta seemed like such a nice girl, so they were glad she wasn't sad and alone under the rain anymore.

And so Byleth didn't feel upset about their sleepless night anymore, being that it had led them to meet a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have this whole backstory for Bernie in this au, i just love her that much <3


End file.
